While Americans have a deep love and appetite for ethnic foods, they are sometimes misled into believing something is ethnic when it’s not. Here are some tips for what to look for when dining at Indian Cuisine Restaurants in Washington DC to tell if the food is authentic or not.
Spice It Up
One of the first things to take note of is how the spices are used. When cooking traditional Indian food, the spices are not just merely dumped into a pot while the vegetables and meats cook.
On the contrary, many spices used in Indian cooking are first either dry-roasted or oil fried to bring out and enhance the flavor of them before they are eventually ground and sprinkled into the dish. Indian chefs use a technique called layering, in which the spices are added at different times during the cooking process.
The last type of spices to be added to the dish is called garnishes. They act as a bridge between all of the other spices in the dish and add a touch of sophistication to it.
These Rules Were Not Made To Be Broken
There are also rules on how certain dishes are prepared. They must be strictly followed for the dish to be truly called Indian. For instance:
* Curry used in Kurma must always be made with coconut milk and yogurt.
* Upperi must not contain any gravy and must contain only vegetables. The same rules apply to Poriyal served in Indian Cuisine Restaurants in Washington DC.
* Before the rice in Pulav is mixed with the vegetable, it must first be browned in butter before it is cooked.
* Any curry used in Vindaloo must use potatoes and vinegar.
Keep It Fresh
Only fresh foods should be used and, when possible, ingredients should be purchased daily to maintain peak freshness. Frozen vegetables are never acceptable in true Indian cuisine, and any restaurant that uses them should be avoided when seeking an authentic dining experience.
When seeking a fine Indian dining establishment, seek out one with a solid reputation for serving only the best food such as Heritage India. They have the culinary experience necessary to deliver the ultimate experience.
